Left in the Dark
by xiXlToxiclXix
Summary: She witnessed the hallway's light flicker again, revealing a dark silhouette within the middle. The calm tone vanished, as she only managed to croak, "S-S-Shadow...?" Silence. One-Shot. *Sequel to, 'Trapped'.*


**Hi all!**

**Rouge is 'round about my favourite female character, so, I came up with this.**

**It's *kind of* a sequel One-Shot to 'Trapped'.**

**There's slight Shadouge. Slight, I think, anyway. :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or other related characters, all of which go to SEGA.**

**s-S-s**

**Left in the Dark.**

**s-S-s**

The albino bat was sat on an armchair, her legs crossed over whilst her hands were wrapped around a gleaming, crimson emerald. She twirled it around, fascination faintly filling her blue irises. The emerald continued to spin within her grasp, sparkling in the light of the electronic chandeliers above. The bored frown on her muzzle changed for a moment, finally taking in the beauty of the majestic gem itself. Sly smiling came to an end moments later, as the emerald was dropped lower onto the ivory creature's lap. Sighing, she placed her gloved hand on her muzzle, tapping her index finger as she trailed her gaze around the room.

The hotel room wasn't exactly to her satisfaction, as she fancied being surrounded by her beautiful jewels. The plain, cream wallpaper plastered all over the area. White marble was the flooring, covered by a fluffy rug. The black couch was armless, having only a oval within it's centre. A glass, coffee table sat in the middle of the room, a pot of flowers within the middle.

The room was too bright to her tastes.

The hand lowered to the gem's height. Boredom filled her blue orbs, as she twiddled with the emerald within her hands, obviously looking for something to do. When she found no amusement, she moved her gaze slowly to the gem, seeing her reflection on it's sharp edges. Eyes rolled to the side, as the gaze moved to the hotel's front door, as if expecting someone to knock or enter.

No sound came.

Rouge sighed.

Ever since Shadow had gone out, at least a night ago, he hadn't returned. And, frankly, she was...

Wait a minute...

Was she actually worried about Shadow?

No! Of course not.

She didn't have any reason to be worried about the 'Ultimate Life Form', did she?

Then again, setting aside time for worrying had proven a point in some cases...

But, she was only worried for the sake of Shadow's mission failing! Yes, that was simple enough!

...

Giving a sigh, she shook her head.

"Oh. Trust me to start kidding myself," she mused, the sly smile cracking on her lips.

Typically, at that moment in time, she was rather... mad—you might say—at Shadow for not bringing her along.

Her safety had been well regarded by the black hedgehog, who, in his eyes, saw it best for Rouge to remain here, until he came back. She could still remember the scene quite well.

**s-S-s**

_Rouge the Bat had the hedgehog's arm pulled above her shoulder, trying to support the damaged being from the collapsing. The black being tried to escape the female's grip._

"_Oh, trust you to act like a tough guy, Shadow."_

_The hedgehog just gave a grunt, not exactly impressed with himself at that moment in time. _

_The bat continued to aid her comrade, despite his many attempts and feeble efforts to tell her to leave him be. Dragging him to the living room, she felt a shiver shift down her spine, as she almost recalled seeing Shadow's shadow rattle. Ignoring such witness' statements, the bat girl heaved the black creature onto the sofa, before chucking herself into an armchair herself._

_Abruptly, the battered being tried to stand up, before being gestured to sit back down. His jet shoes received a long, stern glare, and with reluctance, the hedgehog sat. A mark was distinctly seen on Shadow's cheek, causing a stern frown to form as the bat stared at him. _

_Shrugging, the bat girl smiled slyly._

"_Well, wasn't __**that **__fun?"_

"_No."_

"_Aw, lighten up, Shadow. Can't say this has never happened before."_

_A frustrated growl erupted from the Ultimate Life Form's muzzle, causing Rouge to startle slightly. Staring at his shoes, Shadow proceeded with his low mutterings, his eyes closed and his fangs clenched._

"_He's been alive... all this time. And now, he finally chooses to show his face!"_

"_Well, old habits die hard, I guess."_

_After a few moments of dreaded silence, the black being stood, and this time, he didn't sit back down. The hedgehog nodded to himself with acceptance, before turning to Rouge from the floor._

"_...I'm going after him."_

_Rouge shook her head, hands denying the statement. "Whoa, whoa, hold on there, pal! You're not going anywhere, unless it's with me!"_

_The female was given a stern stare._

"_Rouge, he tried to hurt you."_

"_So?" Narrowing her eyes, she gave a small smirk, her eyes twinkling with assumption. _

_There was a moment of silence, before the male spoke again._

"_...So, I don't want to have to carry __**your **__corpse all the way back."_

_Rouge laughed dryly at her comrade's impassive humour, before folding her arms and narrowing her blue irises._

"_Well, be sure to have a fancy funeral for me, bub." Glancing at the hedgehog, she saw various scratches and wounds surrounding his jet black fur._

_She shuddered._

_Her tone became full of concern within the next sentence, "You're clearly hurt, Shadow. Just sleep it off, will ya'?"_

_The ebony creature remained silent a few moments, his red orbs slowly moving to the door. Moving the sight back to the bat, he frowned._

"_Rouge, I'm fine. There's really no need for that concern." Shaking his head, Shadow took a step away from the sofa. Rouge raised an eye ridge._

"_Uh, huh? So, what're you gonna' do?" _

"_He can't just get away with it."_

_The bat breathed in. "What am__** I**__ gonna' do then? Stay here like a pretty princess locked in a tower?"_

"_Preferably."_

"_Oh, Shadow! What am I gonna' do with you?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Right..." Rouge batted her eyelashes, her eyes rolling underneath them._

_Another silence occurred, as the two continued to stare, serious looks on their faces._

"_I'm going." _

"_Oh, c'mon, Shadow." _

"_Don't even bother talking me out of it." The black hedgehog walked towards the door, his skate shoes flaring up slightly. _

_Rouge's eyes were brimmed with secret concern. "Shadow, please."_

_The ebony one remained silent. The gloved hand rested on the doorknob, as if hesitating with the decision at hand. _

_Shadow shook his head slowly, giving one last look at the flirtatious female._

"_I'm sorry, Rouge, but he can't get away with it... And, he can't hurt you again... For that, I'll make him regret..."_

"_Shadow..."_

"_Goodbye, Rouge." Within seconds, the black blur took off._

_Rouge frowned, hints of worry shown on her facial structure. _

_Small amounts of playfulness tugged at the corner of her lips._

"_And we were having so much fun." _

**s-S-s**

Until he came back, Rouge would have to find something else to push those thoughts from her mind. Possibly, the emerald could have caught her attention, but at this point, it seemed quite dull and boring.

Pulling herself up, the bat held the crimson emerald in her cupped hands, walking slowly to the narrow hallway.

The female continued walking on the now soft, charcoal carpet, whilst peering about at the black and gold wallpaper.

Well, at least it was better than outstandingly bright colours.

The warmth of the Chaos energy pulsed through the material of her gloves, giving another reason to why she desired these grand gems so much. As she made her way down the hallway, the lights flickered slightly, causing a frown to form on her muzzle. Puzzlement dwelled on her face, the flashing lights brightening up her blue irises. The frown gave a side structure, merely like biting the lip. Ignoring the odd occurrence, the bat took multiple steps forward towards the bedroom.

The floor creaked beneath her boots.

She rolled her eyes.

"More surprises."

Shaking her head, she proceeded towards the walnut door, seeing the brass handle in reach.

The brass shone along with the supernatural gem, making it more easier to see the thing in the dark.

Placing the precious gem within one hand securely, she turned the knob of the door with her gloved hand. With encouragement, the door creaked open.

_**CREAK...!**_

Rouge flinched at the noise.

The new room was quite simpler than the others. A four-poster bed sat on the left side, whilst a simple, black dresser sat on the other. A lamp remained seated on the bedside table, there for use if any such needed it. The carpet was a dull black, whilst the walls were a pale grey.

As the bat entered, she felt an immediate shiver shift down her spine. With the appropriate sound, she moved her eyeballs about the room, scanning for anything of such interest. Huffing, she ended up turning to a nearby radiator.

"Would it kill them to fix the central heating?"

Moving her stare towards the huge, paned window, she blinked at the falling snowflakes which glistened along with the stars.

Well, at least the view looked pretty.

_**Tap, tap, tap...**_

The bat froze on the spot, feeling another shiver fall down her spine.

This place wasn't very likeable, was it?

Despite instincts telling her to leave the situation be, her interest, getting the best of her, caused her to turn her head slightly. Her stare almost lasted a full thirty seconds, looking towards the front door which was clearly outlined by the flickering light.

Curiosity flared within the female, as she confusingly continued to stare at the door.

A substantial amount of cautiousness began to build up within her being, making the albino creature loiter about a lot longer than intended.

A thick shadow passed through the lights, barely seen as the room was lit for a micro-second.

She had to admit, this was creeping her out a little. Just a tad, though.

Bravery formed within herself.

"C'mon, Rouge. Ya' can't let the dark scare you," she muttered to herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak louder.

No sound came.

The calm tone vanished, as she only managed to croak, "S-S-S-Shadow...?"

There was a silence, as the noises about the hotel rooms ceased a moment. The lights in the hallway halted at their routines, leaving the hallway empty and dark.

Silence.

Silence reverberated throughout her nerves.

Silence still wavered a few moments.

A somewhat dark chuckle caught her off guard.

"Ah, if it isn't the pleasant, female bat..."

Recognising the voice clearly, Rouge scoffed at the statement, fear shaken off and replaced with annoyance.

"I'll be less pleasant if you go sneaking into my room, pal."

The smirk was clearly shown within the male's voice. "Well, won't this be amusing..."

The frown became a lot grimmer than before, the bat owner eyeing the hallway with clear suspicions.

Shivers erupted from her spine yet again.

A few more moments passed, and she witnessed the hallway's light flicker again, revealing a dark silhouette within the middle.

Startled, she took a step back.

"A rather foolish mistake, my dear."

Sharp needles jabbed at her body, causing her to immediately kick backwards due to reflexes. However, before said action could be taken, she was gripped firmly, and, to her dismay, couldn't escape at that moment in time. The pain traced her jaw line, as she was forced backwards, and shoved into a nearby wall.

The emerald flew out of her hands, slipping into a corner of the room, unnoticed.

Wincing open one eye, she watched the dark figure draw closer.

"Somebody's been a naughty boy..." She barely muttered this.

Pulling herself up, she gave a frown, her eyes narrowing.

"Ah, yes. And no dear Shadow to interrupt our... little meeting."

Rouge scoffed at the statement, yet again. "I wasn't born yesterday, bub."

She could hear him flexing his crystalline hand.

She could hear his tree stump feet slamming against the carpet.

She could hear the dark chuckle escaping his mouth-less muzzle.

She could hear his crystalline being tapping...

That noise...

_**Tap, tap, tap...**_

She had heard it earlier.

Looks like someone had been waiting for her.

Blue orbs glanced about the room, looking for something, such as a weapon.

Silently, she felt her limbs slip beneath herself, causing her hands to grip the corner of the dresser.

Something trickled down the bat girl's fangs, something cold and somewhat sickening to the taste.

Her own... blood.

The guy had already hit a lady... what next?

The sadistic chuckle reverberated throughout the room, making the victim's fur stand on end.

"Ah... Dear Shadow is missing the fun."

The female frowned, eyes narrowing. "That's fun... to you... pal."

The chuckle continued, as the bat constantly glanced around, supposedly looking for the enemy.

A sick feeling erupted from Rouge's stomach, as she felt some sort of guilt fill her mind. It dwelled there for a few moments, as she pondered as to whether Shadow would return...

She screamed a bloodcurdling scream.

The attacker was pleased.

Sadistically pleased.

The female's body was thrown across the room yet again, striking the wooden, four-poster bed with brutal force. A fierce, holding-on frown fell on her muzzle, as her eyes struggled to stay open.

The frown turned into a weak smile. "You've got... good muscles... pal... I'll give ya' that..."

Her body was sprawled on the ground, as she desperately gripped the carpet. Gloved hands fumbled as they pulled, dragging the limp body with it. The blue orbs had their attention fixed on the lamp, whilst restlessly glancing about every few moments.

The lamp flickered on the bedside table, the light bulb showing weak signs of life.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, dear bat~." The menacing, malevolent tone in his voice caught Rouge's hearing inceptors, causing an immediate shudder.

The hand continued pulling, pulling and pulling, growing closer to the bedside table every few moments. A sweat drop began falling down the bat's forehead, as her gaze remained intent on the flickering light.

"Hm, hm, hm~."

The sickly tune rang through the female's ears, as she felt the sound grow louder.

'Almost there...'

She felt a heavy weight press against the back of her left hand.

It began piercing through her glove, reaching her skin. Red stained the white material, giving the impression that Rouge truly was in trouble.

The weight was pressed more firmly, savagely, and severely, as the blue orbs moved themselves to the source of the pain.

Eyes widened slowly, as they moved upwards, spotting the un-miss-able red sclera, the looming reptilian eyes, and the violet and white crystals.

Those eyes seemed to be scanning her, silently chuckling at the morbid pain rushing throughout her body.

The flickering bulb behind the dark, sinister being continued un-held by her hand, not being given the chance to be a possible weapon.

"Playtime doesn't last forever, dear bat."

The sickly feeling in the bat's stomach grew bitter, and somewhat hurt, as she glared at the demon standing on her hand, possibly handing her death.

Shadow would've been here by now. Something had happened. It wasn't just her wild imagination.

He did it.

Mephiles the Dark is guilty...

The glare grew somewhat subtle, but the bitterness was read well by the crystalline hedgehog.

"Oh, I apologize. You shan't be with your dear Shadow. Isn't that disappointing?" His voice was slick with twisted pleasure.

The azure eyes widened, realising what the statement meant.

Wait...

Shadow was still alive?

He was! He was still—!

Severe pain hit her cranium, as she felt the world tremble around her, the darkness closing into her vision. The temperature around her became vivid, easier to feel. The cold draft had left her fur, as she felt her mind throb with agonizing pain.

The world was trembling around her.

That name was running through her mind.

Blood was streaming from her mouth, and her hand.

She felt sick, ill, poorly.

Her fur was murky, and dark, patched together with red stains.

The world was spinning.

Bruises surrounded each limb.

Her vision was blurring.

Pain vibrated throughout her body like deadly venom.

The villain was laughing.

She felt like screaming.

This was amusing.

That's what the cruel hedgehog thought.

But it wasn't.

It was excruciating.

...

No.

This wasn't real.

Shadow should be here.

Shadow should be by her side—no, it should be the other way around!

This was all... this was all a mere nightmare!

She'd wake up any moment now!

Her vision... It was flickering.

She was losing it.

She couldn't lose it!

She could hear heavy footsteps...

Heavy, familiar footsteps...

The clanging of metal...

She could hear sounds... Mechanical sounds at that.

Her eyes were rolling back...

It couldn't be too late for her.

She could barely move her hand, but the pressure once upon it had drifted.

Mephiles had left her alone to die.

So, that no one would find her in time... So, that not one would save her from this nightmare.

She grinned vaguely.

The pain was subduing...

Was she truly losing it?

She could hear an impact in the room, something smashing, but she couldn't care less.

She was going.

It wasn't her concern anymore.

"**Rouge."**

A voice rang through her head. A familiar voice.

But her mind was slipping... if she could just recognise it?

She could have imagined it—her mind was in a terrible state at that moment in time.

The sly smile crossed her face once more, as she could see the faint light of the lamp through her blue eyelids.

Her life was flickering by an inch... Pretty soon, the bulb would die out... just like her.

"**ROUGE!"**

She recollected her thoughts; she **knew** she'd heard something... calling her name...

It was a male voice as far as she could tell... A male voice...

Her mind spent those last, horrid moments trying to figure out whom the sound belonged to.

Dark...

Mysterious...

Concerned...

Concerned for her being...

It had to be...! No doubt!

**CRASH! BANG! BANG!**

Several noises echoed throughout the rooms.

"Nuisance robot!"

She snapped back to reality, her eyes rolling back into their regular position. They flickered weakly at the loud crashes and bangs emitting from the hallway.

The door to the corridor, opposite to her, stood wide and open, revealing the colour: red.

She watched, narrowing her eyes, excitement sparking secretly.

The hallway's lighting flicked on, and then off, allowing her to identify her saviour more clearly.

Her heart dropped slightly as she spotted a shine to the colour, but it rose again with hope.

Someone _had _come.

Bullets were suddenly fired at her position, and she didn't hesitate to drag her brittle body out of the way.

More were fired, striking the bedding stretched across the mattress.

Suddenly, colour flashed by her eyes, as she witnessed the enemy fly through the air within the room, soaring through the glass window and crashing into it with a huge, 'CRASH!'

Glass smashed, causing the bat to flinch. Crystals were flung everywhere, along with the various amounts of glass shards.

A drop of sweat fell down her forehead, as she felt relief wash over herself. "Phew. The crazy guy's gone... for now."

The bat girl slowly groaned, feeling severe pain flow throughout her hand.

The clanging of metal grew louder.

Boy, she had a headache...

"Rouge the bat."

The monotone voice struck her mind hard, as she couldn't suppress a weak grin.

"Thanks, Omega... But I coulda' handled him."

"Statement is not plausible."

There was a silence, as the robot continued his stare.

Rouge raised an eye ridge, a small, sly smile falling on her muzzle. "...So, what're you doing here, rescuing me?"

The robot remained silent, and seemed to be observing the female's multiple injuries.

"You are in a terrible condition."

The bat tried to pull herself up, her bones feeling pretty numb. "Nah, I'll be—ugh..." With her hand bloodied, she felt disgusted.

"More assistance will be necessary."

"I told ya', Omega... I'll be fine... I'll live. Ya' can be sure about that." She smiled feebly, her grin still showing that gradually built defiance to death.

No response was given, as the E-Robot continued to stare intently into Rouge's eyes.

Another morbid silence occurred.

"Where is Shadow?"

It almost seemed as if concern dwelled within the robot's question.

It was to believe that Shadow was around the bat most times, so that was most probably the reason of why he assumed the bat girl would know.

Rouge squinted a little; the blur fading away from her view as the gaze became intent on the robot's red lights. Concern lapped over her expression, as her heart sank. The bat girl's stare flew to the ground a moment.

Something sparked within her mind.

Managing to stand, she limped over to one of the posts, using it to hold herself upright. The pain seemed to remain, but, shortly after, she gave her defiant, little grin, her eye winking.

"Ya' know, I think we should go find out."

"Affirmative," came the monotone reply.

The crimson Chaos Emerald glistened brightly within the corner of the room.

**s-S-s**

**Well, there you have it. Another One-Shot done.**

**Hope you liked it. : )**

**So, I had Omega be the big hero! YAY! : D : D**

**But, what to do now?**

**As before, any reviews are greatly appreciated, whether they're constructive, praise, improvement...anything!**

**Feedback is awesome, and essential!**

**Thanks for reading, if you have! C :**

**-Toxic : )**


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